Many vehicles are provided with in-vehicle notification and/or functionality based on traffic flow and information. This information can be gathered from a variety of sources, with an ever-increased focus on improving the quality and accuracy of the traffic data. Utilizing the gathered information, vehicle navigation systems and other functions can provide improved quality to users and an improved driving experience.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,804,423 generally relates to a system and method for providing real-time traffic information using a wireless vehicle-to-vehicle communications network. A vehicle includes a plurality of sensors that detect other vehicles around the vehicle. The wireless communications system on the vehicle uses the sensor signals to calculate a traffic condition index that identifies traffic information around the vehicle. The vehicle broadcasts the traffic condition index to other vehicles and/or road side infrastructure units that can present the information to the vehicle driver, such as in a navigation system, and/or rebroadcast the traffic information to other vehicles. The traffic condition index can be calculated using the speed of the surrounding vehicles, posted speed limits, the distance between the surrounding vehicles and the traffic density of the surrounding vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,145,376 generally relates to a system including a road scenario sensor, a vehicle control unit, and a computer processing unit. The road scenario sensor detects upcoming road scenarios for the system vehicle. The computer processing unit receives an input from the road scenario sensor and determines a upcoming driving event based upon the detected upcoming road scenarios. The computer processing unit compares the upcoming driving event with an ideal emissions model having acceptable emission thresholds to determine an adaptive driving strategy. The adaptive driving strategy configures the system vehicle to reduce emissions for the upcoming driving event. The adaptive driving strategy optionally includes an optimal acceleration rate and/or an optimal power management strategy. The optimal acceleration rate is based upon the required speed of the vehicle at the upcoming driving event and the distance from the vehicle to the upcoming driving event, and the ideal emissions model having acceptable emission thresholds.
U.S. Application No. 2009/228172 generally relates to a vehicle-to-vehicle position awareness system that utilizes wireless communication techniques. An embodiment of the system includes a detection and ranging system located on a host vehicle, where the detection and ranging system is configured to sense a neighboring vehicle proximate to the host vehicle. In response to the detection of the neighboring vehicle, the detection and ranging system generates neighboring vehicle data that indicates a position of the neighboring vehicle relative to the host vehicle. The position awareness system also includes a traffic modeler that is configured to process the neighboring vehicle data and, in response thereto, generate a virtual traffic model for the host vehicle. The position awareness system also employs a wireless transmitter that wirelessly transmits host vehicle model data that conveys the virtual traffic model. Compatible vehicles in the vicinity of the host vehicle can receive and process the host vehicle model data to generate their own virtual traffic models